D’Ambrosio, who has participated in Friday first practice for Virgin in the last three races, drives for Renault junior team DAMS in GP2. Renault described him as “this season?óÔé¼Ôäós most successful member of the Renault F1 Driver Programme.”

D’Ambrosio will also be racing in the GP2 finale at Abu Dhabi this weekend. He is tenth in the championship, having missed one round where he was replaced by Romain Grosjean.

Because of laws restricting the advertising of alcohol in Abu Dhabi, the Flagman Vodka logos on the R30 will be replaced by those of the Bank of Moscow, its holding company, in the race and tests at the Yas Marina circuit.

7 comments on Renault to test Aleshin and d’Ambrosio

I would fancy Renault to build on the Russian connection rather then sell out their Team (or what’s left of it being theirs) to someone like Bahar from Lotus Cars right now.
Even the Proton cooperation thing does not seem to be enough of an argument to me, as Proton is far from succesfull as is Lotus cars currently.
Getting closer with Lada and built up Renaults foothold in Russia might do more and Lotus can be sufficiently supported through the Team Lotus engine supply.

I have mixed feelings about that. While I’d like to see 1MalaysiaF1 as Team Lotus next year (I think they’ve earned it and have shown the proper intent and spirit behind what they’re doing), I’m not a fan of the idea of more Russian support at Renault. That would mean the team retaining Petrov, and while I do think he may deserve a spot in F1, I think he needs to prove himself in a backmarker before he gets another shot in a car as good as the R30. He’s definitely cost the team 4th place in the constructors.